Vapor-removing apparatus for drying mechanism.



W. H. MACKLIND. VAPOR REMOVING APPARATUS FOR DRYING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.4, 1915- 1,192,0 4, Patented July 25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- W. R. MACKLIND.

VAPOR REMOVING APPARATUS ron DRYING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-4, M5. 1 ,1 92,084, Patented July 25,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z- 1i onnron.

ATEN

WILLIAM R. MACKLIND, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO GEORGE A. MARTIN, TRUSTEE, OF CLEVELAND, OI-IIO, FOR THE USE AND BENEFIT OF SAID MACKLIND AND THE SHERWIN-VIILLIAMS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Original application filed August 10, 1912, Serial No. 714,323. Divided and. this application filed August 4, 1915. Serial No. 43,594.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W'ILLIAM R. lVIAOK- L nn, a citlzen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyaho-ga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vapor-Removing Apparatus for Drying Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The present improved vapor removing apparatus is designed more especially for use in connection with a continuous drying machine of the kind illustrated in my co-pending application filed August 10, 1912, Serial No. 714,323, out of which the present case has been required to be divided, such drying machine being characterized, among other things, by the use of an annular drying table. It will be understood, however, that my improved vapor removmg apparatus, while thus designed for use in conjunction with a drying machine of this type, may also be advantageously employed in connection with other kinds of drying machines, and for that matter, may be used in removing vapors from machines which treat materials in other ways than by drying the same.

The aforesaid drying machine is designed primarily for handling wet, sludgy materials which are known in commerce as pulps, both in mineral and vegetable products. For example, such pulp, as is well known, is produced in the manufacture of white lead and lead oxid, zinc oXid and other pig ments. All these materials, when in the pulp state, are more or less refractory, both in being" subjected to drying means and in letting loose of a certain percentage of the water which they carry. Owing to the large per cent. of water found in materials of this class, the drying operation is complicated, and the work of attendants apt to be greatly hampered by the large volume of vapor given off.

The object of the present improvements accordingly, is to provide means for the continuous collection and withdrawal of the vapors arising from the drying operation, proper, so as not only to render it convenlent and healthful to work about the machine, but also to accelerate such operation.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully de-' ing my present improved vapor removing apparatus; Fig. 2 is a radial, vertical section of such apparatus taken on the plane 1ndicated by the line 22, Fig. l; and Fig.

'3 is another transverse section of a detail taken on the plane indicated by the line 33, Fig. ,1.

The general features of construction characterizing the illustrative form of my improved machine, shown in the foregoing drawings, comprise in addition to theannu- 'lar, and substantially horizontally disposed drying table A, to which reference has already been made, various other mechanisms supported in cooperative relation to said table, including a feeding apparatus 13, for depositing onto the table a layer or film of the material to be dried; an apparatus C, for removing from the table the dried material, and discharging the same from the machine; and an apparatus for removing the vapor or moisture arising from the de positing of such material. The last named apparatus alone, will be described in detail in this connection, it being suiiieient to note that the material feeding and removing apparatuses, together with such vapor removing apparatus, are all supported from a rotatable frame which carries such parts in proper cooperative relation to the table, and also supports the necessary operating mechanism therefor. Such frame, in the form illustrated, includes a series of radial arms 16, and cross-members l7 and 18, and iscentrally supported upon a column 11, as well as peripherally by means of rollers 20 upon a circular track 19.

The drying table A, as already indicated, is of annular form, and is supported by means of a series of suitable supporting stands 1, upon the foundation 2, (Fig. 2). The table proper, is built up of a plurality of contiguous sections that are supported upon said stands by means of inner and outer channel rings 3. The sections are in the form of sectors 4, and are hollow, the upper and lower walls being connected together by webs 5, as shown in the figures just named, Pipes 6 and 7 for supplying steam and removing the water of condensation, respectively, are provided in connection with each sector, the last named pipes being connected to the inner ends of the sectors, and the bottom walls of the latter sloping toward such inner ends so as to cause the condensed water to drain naturally away.

It will be understood that the drying table A, of the machine has a considerable superficial area, and there will be produced in drying materials, such as those in mind, such a considerable volume of vapor or steam as to be objectionable, especially under certain weather conditions and in-buildings more or less inclos'ed. I accordingly provide means for withdrawing and removing from the apparatus substantially all such vapor, said means comprising a series of vapor collectors discharging into a central drum made up of a stationary section 3-4, and the rotatable section 41. The collectors themselves are in the form of hoods disposed between successive radial arms 16 of said frame and are all similar with the exception of one of special construction that is mounted next to the feeding apparatus B. Each of said similar collectors is made up of two side members 110 and a central keymember 111 supported from the radial arms 16 by means of rods 112, (Fig. 2), as need not be explained in detail, the lower edges lying close to the upper surface of the drying table.

ately caught by the collector. This is highly important for the reason that obviously the greater bulk of the vapor driven off during the drying operation is driven oil at this stage, less and less evaporation occurring as the drying progresses. I 7

Leading from this special collector113 adjacent to the feeding apparatus and from the central member 111 of each of the duplicate collectors, is a radial vapor-pipe 114, that is connected with the rotatable section 41 of the central vapor drum. A watersealed joint 115 forms a tight closure between this section and the upper stationary section 34 of said drum, with which latter section is connected the main discharge vapor pipe 116. Said pipe 116 may lead to any suitable point without the building or are arranged to incline downwardly toward I the drum, and the latter is provided in its bottom with drain pipes 118 that lead to an annular trough 119 supported upon the central column 11 by means of the centering sleeve 12. This trough is, in turn, provided with a drain pipe 120 that leads to a central pocket in the column and has an exterior discharge (not shown).

It will be observed that the radial vapor pipes 114, beginning with the one that follows the first pipe connected with the special collector hood 113, are of successively smaller sizein cross-section, as indicated in Fig. 1. Moreover, for the size of the hood 113, said first radial vapor pipe 114, is relatively the largest of the lot. The object in the foregoing proportioning of the size of these pipes is to apply-the greater suction to those hoods Where the greater amount of vapor will naturally be expected to arise from the material that is being dried on the annular table. Otherwise a much greater suction would have to be maintained on the discharge vapor pipe 116, much of such suction being wasted in the case of the hoods that pass over the material just before it is reached by the removing apparatus C.

The general operation of the machine has i already been sufficiently indicated, it is believed, to render clear the functioning of my improved vapor removing apparatus. The latter, together with the material feeding and removing apparatuses are carried bythe rotatable frame which supports them, in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, so that, as fast as the dried material on the table is taken up and removed by mechanism C, a fresh layer of wet material,

or sludge, is deposited by the feeding mechanism B. The table, in other words, is continually covered by a layer of material, save for the sector-portion thereof that at any particular moment happens to lie between the mechanism C and D, and practically the entire remainder of the table is covered over by the series of vapor collecting hoods, which, with the corresponding series of radial vapor pipes 114, are adapted to draw off the vapors arising from the material on such portion of the table as fast as they arise, conduct them to the central vapor drum, and thence without the building, or to a point of discharge Where they can cause no inconvenience to the workmen, or

hinder the operation of the machine. At the same time it will be obvious that the effect of such vapor collecting apparatus will be to facilitate the drying operation by assisting the material in giving off the water absorbed therein, or intermixed therewith.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. The combination with an annular drying table, of vapor-collecting means circularly movable about said table with the center of the latter as an axis.

2. The combination with an annular drying table, of vapor-collecting means circularly movable about said table with the cen ter of the latter as an axis, and a centrally located vapor drum connected with said vapor-collecting means.

3. The combination with an annular drying table, of vapor-collecting means circularly movable about said table with the center of the latter as an axis, a centrally-located vapor drum, and a series of radial pipes connecting said vaporcollecting means with said drum.

4. The combination with an annular drying table, of a series of vapor-collecting hoods disposed thereover and movable in a circular direction with the center of said table as an axis, a centrally located vapor drum, connected with draft means, and a series of radial pipes connecting said hoods, respectively with said drum, said pipes being graduated in size to vary the draft effect in different hoods.

5. The combination with an annular drying table, of material-feeding means movable in a circular path over said table, a series of vapor-collecting hoods disposed over said table and similarly movable in unison with said feeding means, a centrally located vapor drum connected with draft means, and a series of radial pipes connecting said hoods, respectively, with said. drum, said pipes being graduated in size to reduce the draft effect in the hoods based on their distance from said feeding means, in a direction opposite to that of the movement of said means.

6. In drying mechanism, the combination of an annular drying table; a column centrally disposed with respect to said table; a frame rotatably supported upon said column and comprising radial arms extending over said table; vapor-collecting hoods carried between said arms in operative relation to said table; and a drum located over said column and comprising a stationary section having an exterior discharge and a movable section carried by said frame and connected with said vapor-collecting hoods.

7. In drying mechanism, the combination of an annular drying table; a column centrally disposed with respect to said table; a frame rotatably supported upon said column and comprising radial arms extending over said table; vapor-collecting hoods carried between said arms in operative relation to said table; a drum located over said column and comprising a stationary section having an exterior discharge and a movable section carried by said frame and connected with said vapor-collecting hoods; and drain connections from said drum passing downwardly through said column.

8. In drying mechanism, the combination of an annular drying table; a column centrally disposed with respect to said table; a frame rotatably supported upon said column and comprising radial arms extending over said table; and a vapor-collecting hood carried between two of said arms in operative relation to said table, said hood comprising two end sections suspended from said arms and an intermediate keysection.

9. In drying mechanism, the combination of an annular drying table; a column centrally disposed with respect to said table; a frame rotatably supported upon said column and extending over said table; material feeding and drying means and vaporcollecting means carried by said frame in operative relation to said table and in circumferentially spaced relation to each other; a drum located over said column and comprising a stationary section having an exterior discharge and a movable section car ried by said frame and connected with said vapor-collecting means; a hopper in said column having an opening encircling the same; and conveying means also carried by said frame, said conveying means leading from said removing means and discharging into said hopper opening.

10. In drying mechanism, the combination of an annular drying table; a column centrally disposed with respect to said table; a

frame rotatably supported upon said column and extending over said table; material feeding and drying means and vapor-collecting means carried by said frame in operative relation to said table and in circumferentially spaced relation to each other; a drum located over said column and comprising a stationary section having an exterior discharge and a section carried by said frame and connected with said vapor-collecting means; connections for supplying the material to be dried to said feedmg means including a pipe extending from above downwardly through the relatively stationary section of said drum and thence radially outward to said means; a hopper in said column having an opening encircling the same; and conveying means also carried by said frame, said conveying means leading from said removing means and discharging into said hopper opening.

1 S5igned by me, this 2nd day of August,

WILLIAM R. MACKLIN D.

Attested hy A. D. SoHRoEDER, WV. J. CRITCHLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, 1L0. 

